Floating Egg Experiment

Experiment with eggs, freshwater and saltwater.

Materials

• 2 drinking glasses

• 2 eggs

• Water

• 4 tbsb salt

Directions

• Fill one glass with tap water almost to the top

• Gently drop in an egg. Watch it sink

• Fill the second glass half-full with water. Add 4 tbsb salt. Stir.

• Gently place the second egg into the salt water solution. Watch the egg float.

Why Does It Work?

The first egg sinks to the bottom of the glass of regular tap water. This is because a raw egg has a greater density than regular tap water. Essentially, the egg has more matter stuffed into a specific area (volume) than the same amount of water.

When you add salt to the water, you increase the density. That is to say, the salt packs into the same volume of water. With enough salt added to the water, the density of the water is greater than the egg, allowing the egg to float.

adapted from SteveSpanglerScience.com